A cat’s paws are so interesting and fascinating in the purposeful and, quite frankly sometimes comical ways our furry friends use them.
They can gently touch us on the face without leaving a scratch, or they can snatch a tossed toy or string out of the air like a second baseman making a double play.
But when it really comes down to it, what do we know about those cat paws? Let’s take a closer look at what our feline buddies can do with those cute digits.
Table of Contents
Pawsitively Do Not Enter
Cats will mark their territory by using their paws. Cats have scent glands in their paws that release their own personal “ mark “ to let others know that they have staked a claim to the area.
Also, along with scenting they leave a visual indication by leaving scratches which essentially equates to a dual-purpose maker. Your kitty has laid down the law by letting all others know there will be “NO TRESPASSING” on this property.
Cool Paws
If you ever wondered if cats have sweat glands, the answer is yes. Most cats are covered in fur but under their paws are pads that contain sweat glands.
In fact, the paw pads have the most sweat glands. A cat’s foot pads can become sweaty from either heat or when feeling anxious which can result in your kitty leaving wet prints as they walk.
Normally the paw pads alone are not enough to help cats cool down, so combined with other methods they are able to regulate body temperature.
Matching Pads And Fur
There is a correlation between the color of our kitty’s coat and the color of their foot pads.
Upon closer inspection of your cat’s paw pads, you may notice that they are a particular color, usually black, pick, lavender and even spotted.
You may note that white and ginger cats have pink pads. Black kitties have black pads, and gray kitties have gray pads. Tuxedo cats may have a pink, pinkish-white, black or any mix of these colors on their paw pads.
Cats with multicolored coats like a Calico, or Tortoiseshell you may see mixed color combinations on their pads (also called “toe beans” for their shape), perhaps two pink and the rest may be black, or multicolored pads and toes.
Also note, the pad color and the skin color under their coat will also be the same.
Washcloth Paws
Cats are so fastidious that they can occupy as much as 30 – 50 percent of their day grooming themselves. With all that grooming taking place they just can’t forget to wash their face and clean behind the ears and those hard to lick places.
Cats will lick their paws to dampen them so that they can wipe off any unwanted dirt and food particles that may have splattered on their face during meal time.
They will repeat the process of licking and applying their paw to every area they intended to clean in a ritualistic fashion.
This also helps to stimulate tiny oil glands in their head which they use like perfume to help freshen things up.
Tippy Toe Walk
Digitigrade, an animal with the ability to walk around on the tips of its toes…all day…no heels required…wait, what? Yup, that’s what your kitty does every day while moving about.
They don’t just walk on their toes but they also run on them. Fun fact: Your cat is able to lengthen their stride, and generate great bursts of speed because of their capacity to move around on those cute little toes of theirs.
To give you a sense of what this might feel like, place your fingers flat on a table then raise your palm. Now imagine that you can still do things with your fingers.
Silence Of The Paws
A cat’s paws are essentially shock absorbers that allow cats to lessen the impact from a fall, and also absorb the sound from impact on surfaces.
Cats are capable of moving quietly and hunting silently and the soft padding underneath aids them in this stealthy movement.
While quietly moving along on their paws, they have absolute control over their body weight distribution and over those finely tuned muscles that help keep them poised for a powerful bounce into action.
The Cat Walk
Cats have a very particular way of walking that allows for minimal weight and pressure applied on the ground. Cats achieve this “Stealth Walk” by keeping their bodies low and having only one paw off the ground at all times.
This is known as the four-beat gait. The legs move diagonally starting with one of the front legs, followed by the opposite hind leg moving in unison.
They also have a method referred to as feline direct registering. This is when a cat’s back feet land on the same spot their front feet were previously placed. Felines walk with purpose and efficiency, never wasting a step.
Sensitive Padding
Unless you started getting your cat accustomed to having his/her paws handled when they were kittens, they will pull their paws away when we touch them.
Those cute paw pads are extremely sensitive. They contain a high concentration of nerve receptors that functions like a finely tuned sensory organ. These receptors give cats the ability to feel texture, pressure, and possibly vibrations through their paw pads.
Although a cat’s paw pads are strong enough to protect against some environmental damages, that same sensitivity comes at a price.
A cat’s paw pads are sensitive to hot pavements, cold weather temperatures, rough surfaces, pressure and pain. Their paw pads are not insulated and can be severely injured under those extreme conditions.
Retract The Claws
All cats, with the exception of the cheetah, can retract the claws in their front paws…mostly. The claws do not fully retract into a sheath or completely into the paw.
When in a resting position, the claws are off the ground and tucked in near the toes. If you take a closer look you can see the tips of the claws just peeking out from under the fur. When they want to use their claws, a cat can contract a tendon to extend the claw out and down.
This is similar to how a person points their toes, and flexes the ankle. Retracting the claws ensures that they stay sharp, and allow them to move quietly as they sneak up on prey.
As previously mentioned, only their front paws retract. The claws on their rear feet are less sharp due to normal wear and tear of everyday movement.
Lefty Or Righty? – And Lets Talk About Sex
Just like their human caretakers, cats can have a preference over which paw they use. Where humans are 10% likely to be lefty, it’s a little more evenly split with cats.
Studies have shown that a cat is overall 39% to be right-pawed, 36% to be left-pawed and 25% did not demonstrate a preference.
Interestingly enough, further studies conducted between male and female cats showed that females had a right-side preference of 52%, and a left-side preference of 27%, and 21% did not show any preference.
Whereas in male cats it was almost completely contrast, with 50% being left-sided, 31% were right-sided and 17% showing no preference.
So, if you ever find yourself wondering if kitty is lefty or right, just remember that male cats are more likely to be left-pawed and female cats more likely to be right-pawed.
Cat Paws Can Flex
Cats have incredibly flexible paws with the ability to bend, turn, and hold onto things. Felines are adept at climbing trees because their paws are able to turn inward giving them the ability to dig their claws into trees and branches.
This is helpful in keeping them stable as they are pulling themselves up and around branches. This is a great skill for when they’re climbing up, but not so much when they’re descending.
A cats inward grip prevents them from descending trees in a head first downward position which is why they climb down backwards.
A cat’s back legs are much stronger and muscular than the front legs and paws, which at times, causes them to get stuck in trees since they lack the same maneuverability in their back legs as in the front legs .
Polydactyl
Cats that are born with extra toes have them because of a genetic mutation in a dominant gene that gets shared down the family tree. Kittys having one parent being polydactyl, the odds are good that at least some of the kittens will also be polydactyl.
Cats with extra toes are also referred to as “Hemingway cats”. This is due to Ernest Hemenway’s’ love of cats.
Fun fact: Upon his death, Hemingway’s Florida home in Key West was turned into a museum and a home for his cats.
Currently, there resides 50 descendants of the animal that he loved so much of which half are polydactyl.
Most cats are born with 5 toes on each front paw and 4 toes on each back paw. In case you are wondering what is the most number of toes ever recorded on a cat?
The Current co-holder of the Guinness world record is a female from Minnesota with 28 toes (three extra toes on each forepaw and three extra toes on each back paw) and her name is, you guessed it! Paws.
Paw Me A Drink
There can be a few reasons as to why your kitty would ladle up some drinking water with her paw.
Some of these could be due to the shape and size of the water bowl, changes in the household, medically challenged and, possibly other animals in the home.
Some cats may have made a preference to drink with their paws from early on. As your fur baby ages, their eyesight may not be as keen as it used to be and they may decide to dip a paw in the water bowl to check for depth.
If you notice any changes in normal behavior it might be a good idea to have your kitty checked out by the vet. If your kitty is a senior, they may feel more vulnerable with all the age related changes and drink water with their paw.
This will allow them to be more aware of their surroundings. Sometimes your cat just likes to play with the water for no other reason than it’s just fun.
Conclusion
We hope this information will help you look at a cat’s paw in a different light. Apart from scratching and hunting, the paws can be multi-functional in a natural habitat.